Zen is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (Chánzong 禪宗), and later developed into various sub-schools and branches. From China, Chán spread south to Vietnam and became Vietnamese Thiền, northeast to Korea to become Seon Buddhism, and east to Japan, becoming Japanese Zen. The term Zen is derived from the Japanese pronunciation of the Middle Chinese word 禪 (chán), an abbreviation of 禪那 (chánnà), which is a Chinese transliteration of the Sanskrit word ध्यान dhyāna ("meditation"). Zen emphasizes rigorous self-restraint, meditation-practice and the subsequent insight into nature of mind (見性, Ch. jiànxìng, Jp. kensho, "perceiving the true nature") and nature of things (without arrogance or egotism), and the personal expression of this insight in daily life, especially for the benefit of others. As such, it de-emphasizes knowledge alone of sutras and doctrine, and favors direct understanding through spiritual practice and interaction with an accomplished teacher or Master. Zen teaching draws from numerous sources of Sarvastivada meditation practice and Mahāyāna thought, especially Yogachara, the Tathāgatagarbha sūtras, the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra, and the Huayan school, with their emphasis on Buddha-nature, totality, and the Bodhisattva-ideal. The Prajñāpāramitā literature, as well as Madhyamaka thought, have also been influential in the shaping of the apophatic and sometimes iconoclastic nature of Zen rhetoric. Furthermore, the Chan School was also influenced by Taoist philosophy, especially Neo-Daoist thought.

From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Notable quotes

“The Buddhist doctrine of impermanence includes the notion that there is no self... It holds that the idea of a separate, individual self is an illusion, just another form of maya, an intellectual concept that has no reality. To cling to this idea of a separate self leads to the same pain and suffering (duhkha) as the adherence to any other fixed category of thought.”
— Fritjof Capra, The Web of Life (1996) Ch.12
“Gay subject–subject consciousness is more compatible with Buddhist non‐duality than the hetero subject–object consciousness. It can be claimed, therefore, that Buddha Nature, and Buddhism itself, is queer.”
— Roger Corless, "Towards a queer dharmology of sex," Culture and Religion, vol. 5, no. 2 (2004)
“If I had to pick a religion, I'd pick Buddhism. Buddhism is a kindly religion. It says you got a chance... it's got humor, it's got wisdom, it says to be nice to each other. All the rest of them have gods that want to beat the crap out of you if you defy the rules.”
— Harlan Ellison, in the clue book for the computer version of I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream, as quoted on "Secular Web Kiosk".
“For 2500 years, Buddhists have systematically studied the essence and cause of happiness. which is why there is a growing interest among the scientific community both in their philosophy and their meditation practices.”
— Yuval Noah Harari, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (2011), Chapter 19: "And they lived happily Ever After"
“In the religiosity of Zen Buddhism, demythologization of the mythical and existentialization of the scientific belong to one and the same process.”
— Keiji Nishitani as cited in Zen Skin, Zen Marrow (Oxford: 2008), p. 134
“Can Beijing rewrite history to make the world believe that Buddhism is “Chinese”? And that the PRC should take the lead in the propagation of the teachings of the Great Monk, who more than 2,500 years ago wandered in the plains of North India, preaching compassion, mindfulness, and interdependent arising? By that, Beijing wants to teach Buddhism to Tibetan Buddhists.”
— Marco Respinti, "The Chinese Communist Party Teaches Tibetan Buddhism to Tibetan Buddhists", Bitter Winter (July 2, 2026)

Quotes via Wikiquote (CC BY-SA), each with its original source.

Overview

Zen is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (Chánzong 禪宗), and later developed into various sub-schools and branches. From China, Chán spread south to Vietnam and became Vietnamese Thiền, northeast to Korea to become Seon Buddhism, and east to Japan, becoming Japanese Zen. The term Zen is derived from the Japanese pronunciation of the Middle Chinese word 禪 (chán), an abbreviation of 禪那 (chánnà), which is a Chinese transliteration of the Sanskrit word ध्यान dhyāna ("meditation"). Zen emphasizes rigorous self-restraint, meditation-practice and the subsequent insight into nature of mind (見性, Ch. jiànxìng, Jp. kensho, "perceiving the true nature") and nature of things (without arrogance or egotism), and the personal expression of this insight in daily life, especially for the benefit of others. As such, it de-emphasizes knowledge alone of sutras and doctrine, and favors direct understanding through spiritual practice and interaction with an accomplished teacher or Master. Zen teaching draws from numerous sources of Sarvastivada meditation practice and Mahāyāna thought, especially Yogachara, the Tathāgatagarbha sūtras, the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra, and the Huayan school, with their emphasis on Buddha-nature, totality, and the Bodhisattva-ideal. The Prajñāpāramitā literature, as well as Madhyamaka thought, have also been influential in the shaping of the apophatic and sometimes iconoclastic nature of Zen rhetoric. Furthermore, the Chan School was also influenced by Taoist philosophy, especially Neo-Daoist thought.

From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Zen is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (Chánzong 禪宗), and later developed into various sub-schools and branches. From China, Chán spread south to Vietnam and became Vietnamese Thiền, northeast to Korea to become Seon Buddhism, and east to Japan, becoming Japanese Zen.

Notable quotes

“The Buddhist doctrine of impermanence includes the notion that there is no self... It holds that the idea of a separate, individual self is an illusion, just another form of maya, an intellectual concept that has no reality. To cling to this idea of a separate self leads to the same pain and suffering (duhkha) as the adherence to any other fixed category of thought.”
— Fritjof Capra, The Web of Life (1996) Ch.12
“Gay subject–subject consciousness is more compatible with Buddhist non‐duality than the hetero subject–object consciousness. It can be claimed, therefore, that Buddha Nature, and Buddhism itself, is queer.”
— Roger Corless, "Towards a queer dharmology of sex," Culture and Religion, vol. 5, no. 2 (2004)
“If I had to pick a religion, I'd pick Buddhism. Buddhism is a kindly religion. It says you got a chance... it's got humor, it's got wisdom, it says to be nice to each other. All the rest of them have gods that want to beat the crap out of you if you defy the rules.”
— Harlan Ellison, in the clue book for the computer version of I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream, as quoted on "Secular Web Kiosk".
“For 2500 years, Buddhists have systematically studied the essence and cause of happiness. which is why there is a growing interest among the scientific community both in their philosophy and their meditation practices.”
— Yuval Noah Harari, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (2011), Chapter 19: "And they lived happily Ever After"
“In the religiosity of Zen Buddhism, demythologization of the mythical and existentialization of the scientific belong to one and the same process.”
— Keiji Nishitani as cited in Zen Skin, Zen Marrow (Oxford: 2008), p. 134
“Can Beijing rewrite history to make the world believe that Buddhism is “Chinese”? And that the PRC should take the lead in the propagation of the teachings of the Great Monk, who more than 2,500 years ago wandered in the plains of North India, preaching compassion, mindfulness, and interdependent arising? By that, Beijing wants to teach Buddhism to Tibetan Buddhists.”
— Marco Respinti, "The Chinese Communist Party Teaches Tibetan Buddhism to Tibetan Buddhists", Bitter Winter (July 2, 2026)